Radar systems and methods for operating radar systems

Abstract

Embodiments of a method and a device are disclosed. In an embodiment, a method for operating a radar system is disclosed. The method involves generating a chirp signal having a repeating pattern of chirps, each chirp in the repeating pattern of chirps having a base frequency and a chirp bandwidth, wherein the repeating pattern of chirps includes at least two chirps that differ from each other in at least one of base frequency and chirp bandwidth, transmitting a radar signal according to the chirp signal, receiving radio frequency energy that includes a reflected portion of the radar signal, and selecting for processing from the received radio frequency energy a signal that matches the repeating pattern of chirps of the chirp signal.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for operating a radar system, the method comprising:
 generating a chirp signal having a repeating pattern of chirps by accessing a chirp code stored by a manufacturer of the radar system in one time programmable memory of the radar system and generating the repeating pattern of chirps based on the chirp code, each chirp in the repeating pattern of chirps having a base frequency, a chirp bandwidth, and a chirp duration, wherein the repeating pattern of chirps includes at least two chirps that differ from each other in base frequency, chirp bandwidth, and chirp duration, wherein the chirp code is a digital code that specifies the base frequency, the chirp bandwidth, and the chirp duration of each chirp of the pattern of chirps, wherein the pattern of chirps starts after a repetitive start pattern and the radar system stores only one chirp code and generates only one repeating pattern of chirps based on the stored chirp code; 
 transmitting a radar signal according to the chirp signal; 
 receiving radio frequency energy that includes a reflected portion of the radar signal; and 
 selecting for processing from the received radio frequency energy a signal that matches the repeating pattern of chirps of the chirp signal; and 
 wherein other radar systems in a communication range with the radar system transmit a respective pattern of chirps, the pattern of chirps based on the chirp code being different from each one of the pattern of chirps transmitted by the other radar systems, the pattern of chirps transmitted by the other radar systems having a base frequency, chirp bandwidth, wait time between chirps, chirp duration, and number of chirps each different from the pattern of chirps based on the chirp code to avoid interference. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the repeating pattern of chirps comprises a fixed number of chirps in each repeating pattern. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the repeating pattern of chirps includes at least three chirps that have different base frequencies. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the repeating pattern of chirps includes at least three chirps that have different chirp bandwidths. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the repeating pattern of chirps includes at least three chirps that have different base frequencies and at least three chirps that have different chirp bandwidths. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the repeating pattern of chirps comprises a fixed number of chirps in each repeating pattern and wherein the repeating pattern of chirps includes at least three chirps that have different base frequencies and at least three chirps that have different chirp bandwidths. 
     
     
       7. A radar system, the radar system comprising:
 a waveform generator configured to generate a chirp signal having a repeating pattern of chirps by accessing a chirp code stored by a manufacturer of the radar system in one time programmable memory of the radar system and generating the repeating pattern of chirps based on the chirp code, each chirp in the repeating pattern of chirps having a base frequency, a chirp bandwidth, and a chirp duration, wherein the repeating pattern of chirps includes at least two chirps that differ from each other in base frequency, chirp bandwidth, and chirp duration, wherein the chirp code is a digital code that specifies the base frequency, the chirp bandwidth, and the chirp duration of each chirp of the pattern of chirps, wherein the pattern of chirps starts after a repetitive start pattern and the radar system stores only one chirp code and generates only one repeating pattern of chirps based on the stored chirp code; 
 transmitter circuitry configured to transmit a radar signal according to the chirp signal; 
 receiver circuitry configured to receive radio frequency energy that includes a reflected portion of the radar signal; 
 wherein the radar system selects, from the received radio frequency energy, a signal that matches the repeating pattern of chirps of the chirp signal; and 
 wherein other radar systems in a communication range with the radar system transmit a respective pattern of chirps, the pattern of chirps based on the chirp code being different from each one of the pattern of chirps transmitted by the other radar systems, the pattern of chirps transmitted by the other radar systems having a base frequency, chirp bandwidth, wait time between chirps, chirp duration, and number of chirps each different from the pattern of chirps based on the chirp code to avoid interference. 
 
     
     
       8. The radar system of  claim 7 , wherein the repeating pattern of chirps comprises a fixed number of chirps in each repeating pattern. 
     
     
       9. The radar system of  claim 7 , wherein the repeating pattern of chirps includes at least three chirps that have different base frequencies. 
     
     
       10. The radar system of  claim 7 , wherein the repeating pattern of chirps includes at least three chirps that have different chirp bandwidths. 
     
     
       11. The radar system of  claim 7 , wherein the repeating pattern of chirps includes at least three chirps that have different base frequencies and at least three chirps that have different chirp bandwidths. 
     
     
       12. The radar system of  claim 7 , wherein the repeating pattern of chirps comprises a fixed number of chirps in each repeating pattern and wherein the repeating pattern of chirps includes at least three chirps that have different base frequencies and at least three chirps that have different chirp bandwidths. 
     
     
       13. A packaged device for a radar system, the packaged device comprising:
 a waveform generator configured to generate a chirp signal having a repeating pattern of chirps by accessing a chirp code stored by a manufacturer of the radar system in one time programmable memory of the radar system and generating the repeating pattern of chirps based on the chirp code, each chirp in the repeating pattern of chirps having a base frequency, a chirp bandwidth, and chirp length, wherein the repeating pattern of chirps includes at least two chirps that differ from each other in base frequency, chirp bandwidth, and chirp length, wherein the chirp code is a digital code that specifies the base frequency, the chirp bandwidth, and the chirp duration of each chirp of the pattern of chirps, wherein the pattern of chirps starts after a repetitive start pattern and the radar system stores only one chirp code and generates only one repeating pattern of chirps based on the stored chirp code; 
 transmitter circuitry configured to transmit a radar signal according to the chirp signal; and 
 receiver circuitry configured to receive radio frequency energy that includes a reflected portion of the radar signal 
 wherein other radar systems in a communication range with the radar system transmit a respective pattern of chirps, the pattern of chirps based on the chirp code being different from each one of the pattern of chirps transmitted by the other radar systems, the pattern of chirps transmitted by the other radar systems having a base frequency, chirp bandwidth, wait time between chirps, chirp duration, and number of chirps each different from the pattern of chirps based on the chirp code to avoid interference. 
 
     
     
       14. The packaged device of  claim 13 , wherein the packaged device selects, from the received radio frequency energy, a signal that matches the repeating pattern of chirps of the chirp signal. 
     
     
       15. The packaged device of  claim 13 , wherein the repeating pattern of chirps comprises a fixed number of chirps in each repeating pattern. 
     
     
       16. The packaged device of  claim 13 , wherein the repeating pattern of chirps includes at least three chirps that have different base frequencies or at least three chirps that have different chirp bandwidths. 
     
     
       17. The packaged device of  claim 13 , wherein the repeating pattern of chirps includes at least three chirps that have different base frequencies and at least three chirps that have different chirp bandwidths. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising receiving the chirp code via an update process over a wireless connection. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 1 , wherein a pool of patterns comprises patterns of chirps which are each different from each other, wherein the pattern of chirps based on the chirp code and each one of the pattern of chirps transmitted by the other radar systems are selected from the patterns of chirps in the pool, and wherein a number of the chirp patterns in the pool is based on a likelihood that the selected patterns of chirps transmitted by the other radar systems do not interfere with the selected pattern of chirps. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 19 , wherein a first pattern of chirps in the pool comprises a first chirp and second chirp with a first wait time between the first chirp and the second chirp and a second pattern of chirps in the pool comprises a third chirp and a fourth chirp with a second wait time between the third chirp and the fourth chirp; and wherein the first wait time and second wait time are different.